Radio transmitter antenna reel



y 30 1940 E. MO RE 2209,46?

RADIO TRANSMITTER ANTENNA REEL Filed DQL. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet lInventor 12 227202 & tboreg July 30, 1940. E. c. MOORE RADIO TRANSMITTERANTENNA REEL Filed Oct. 25, 19:59

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 2am a. More,

Patented July 30, 1940 UNITED. STATES PATENT'OFFICE v Elmer C. Moore,Glenview, Ill.

Application October 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,827

4 Claims.

provision of spring means between the reel and hub on which the reel ismounted and providing friction gripping contact therewith to secure thereel in a predetermined position.

One of the features of this reel is the provision of a brake band orshoe for the reel and arranged to release the reel upon a slightcounterclockwise pull of the manipulating handle, and the antenna willbe drawn out by the weight on the end of the wire thus making itunnecessary to unwind the antenna, it being necessary only to wind it ina retracted position.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a reel inwhich the friction locking in nature so that the antenna may be held inany extended or retracted position without resorting to any externalbraking levers or hand wheels.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a registeringmechanism associated with the reel to indicate the length of the wireunwound from the reel.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 2-2of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view taken substantially on a line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the handle.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 5-5 of Figure1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail of the inner end of the spring andbrake band assembly.

Figure 7 is a rear elevational view of the handle.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral l designates anattaching plate, to which is secured a stationary hub 2 and over whichis positioned a friction holding spring 3 having a More specifically theinvention embodies the.

mechanism is entirely enclosed and automatic,

snug fit on the hub, the spring having a left hand helical winding andhaving one end formed into an eye 3' engaging a pin 4 formed on a brakeshoe 5 which surrounds the spring. The other endof the spring isunattached.

, The brake shoe is loosely mounted over the spring to allow the shoe tobe retracted inwardly from the inner surface 6 of the reel 1, thuspermitting the .reel to rotate freely. The brake shoe is of spring steelconstruction and is provided'with a snug fit in the reel, the brake shoebeing split transversely as shown at 8, the pin 4 being positionedadjacent one split end of the shoe, the shoe thus having an expanding orlocking action inside the inner periphery of the reel 6.-

A pin 9 also projects from one edge of the brake shoe opposite" pin'4and to which a manipul'ating handle. I0 is secured, the handle beingrotatable on a screw H by means of an arcuate slot l2 formed in thecentral portion of the handle. The screw is threadedly engaged to thehub 2;

The handle is of substantially disk form and on its inner surface isformed a slot or recess I3 in which is mounted a link l4 having one" endconnected to the brake shoe 5 by means of a screw 16, the other end ofthe link being attached to the manipulating handle by a pin I1 formed asa part of the handle.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the slot l2 permits alimited movement of the handle on the screw II and upon the pulling ofthe handle to the left the shoe will be restrained by the holding spring3 and the shoe will be contracted in circumference by the link l4, thusreleasing the reel which will be free to turn, due to the weight on theend of the antenna (not shown). Turning the handle to the right willtend to expand the brake shoe 5 tighter than normally against the innerperiphery of the reel seat 6, the spring 3 being slightly unwound thusincreasing its inner diameter and permitting free rotary movement on thestationary hub 2 by the manipulating handle. Upon relwse of the handlethe spring and brake shoe will assume their normal positions, thusholding the reel in any retracted or extended position.

Tightly fitted in the reel I for movement therewith is a sleeve I8having a single spiral Worm l8 projecting from its inner end forengagement with a worm gear I9 during rotation of the reel. The gear 19is secured to one end of a shaft 20 which is freely mounted in a housing20' a part of the hub 2, the upper end of the shaft terminating in apinion 2| which meshes with an internal gear 22 formed on the lower endof a drum 23.

The drum 23 is freely rotatable on a pin 24 rising from an angularextension 24' of the housing 20. A coil spring 25 surrounding the pinand engaging the head thereof yieldably urges the gear 22 of the drum inengagement with the pinion 2|. A pointer 26 is also carried by thebracket 24' cooperating with the scale 21 formed on the periphery of thedrum.

Accordingly, it will be obvious that the drum will register the lengthof the antenna unwound from the reel I. In order to reset the registerthe drum 23 may be lifted outwardly against the tension of the spring 25to cause a disengagement of the gear 22 from the pinion 2i. Rotation ofthe reel in either direction will be transmitted to the drum andaccordingly, the revolutions of the reel or the number of feet ofantenna unwound from the reel will be indicated on the drum.

It is believed the details of construction, advantages and manner of useof the device will be readily understood from the foregoing withoutfurther detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirallywound spring surrounding the hub in frictional engagement therewith, areel surrounding the spring, a resilient brake band between the springand the reel, said brake band being loose on thespring and normally infrictional engagement with the reel, and an operating member havingengagement with the brake band and operable upon movement of the memberin one direction to release the brake band to free the reel for idlerotation.

2. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirallywound spring surrounding the hub in frictional engagement therewith,

a reel surrounding the spring, and a resilient brake band between thespring and the reel, said brake band being loose on the spring andnormally in frictional engagement with the reel, said spring normallyholding the brake band and reel against rotation in one direction andmeans for releasing the brake band from the reel.

3. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirallywound spring surrounding the hub in frictional engagement therewith, areel on the hub, an expansible transversely split brake band between thespring and the reel and movable into and out of braking engagement withthe reel, a pin carried by the hub, a handle having an arcuate openingfor mounting the handle for free rotation on the hub and providinglimited swinging movement of the handle, said handle being also attachedto the brake band adjacent one split end, an elongated recess in thehandle, and a link mounted in the recess having one end attached to theother split end of the brake band and its other end attached to thehandle, said spring also having one end attached to said first named endof the brake band.

4. A reel of the class described comprising a stationary hub, a spirallywound spring surrounding the hub in frictional engagement therewith, areel on the hub, an expansible transversely split brake band between thespring and the reel and movable into and out of braking engagement withthe reel, a pin carried by the hub, a handle having an arcuate openingfor mounting the handle for free rotation on the hub and providinglimited swinging movement of the handle, said handle and one end of saidspring being also attached to the brake band adjacent one split end, apin carried by the handle, and a link connected to the other end of thebrake band, the other end of the spring being unattached.

ELMER C. MOORE.

